Kurdish deputy sentenced to 14.5 years in prison

Independent Van deputy Aysel Tuğluk was sentenced to 14.5 years in prison on charges of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “engaging in crimes on behalf of a terrorist organization.”

Tuğluk, who is awaiting trial, was not present at the hearing held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on Tuesday when the verdict was issued in front of her lawyers Fethi Gümüş and Sedat Yurttaş.

The public prosecutor expressed his legal opinion during the hearing and demanded the court punish Tuğluk.

Gümüş demanded the dismissal of the case against Tuğluk, claiming that the charges do not constitute any crime.

The court handed a 14.5-year prison sentence to Tuğluk, citing Article 7/2 of the Counterterrorism Law (TMK) on “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and Article 314/3 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on “engaging in crimes on behalf of a terrorist organization,” the Anatolia news agency reported on Tuesday.